Thomas

Exactly. Replacing VFP with Access then SQL server generates big $ for MS.

I understand and could live with that, except that MS and its mouthpieces in forums like this keep making promises and encouraging noises. And technically I've been fairly pleased since 1995. If MS would just come out and say "the writing's on the wall, VFP people, consider a change this year" at least we'd know. Instead it is death by a thousand cuts.

IMHO MS is hurting itself. Everybody damaged by this attrition who has any business sense is not going to meekly migrate to another MS product. They'll look at Java and similar that is supported by numerous vendors, or products like Kylix/Delphi from other vendors who have never shafted developers.

re marketing: in 1995 when there were big promises followed by an appalling marketing effort, at least Sigler came several times into the then Compuserve forum to address us and try to show committment. This time around all we see are MS engineers whose expertise and dedication is deserving of full respect, and whose delivery of technical advances is really pleasing, but who by their own admission are not marketers and do not know what marketing will be.

My conclusion: it's another sop. No effort will be made to reach business decisionmakers who are the ones who need targeting. Instead they'll target us and VB people who have no clout or effect on perception of the product.

Regards

JR